Got the new Walthers' Heavy Duty Overhead Crane, and was surprised that the yellow parts in this photo: http://www.nscalesupply.com/Wal/WAL-933-3810.htm are the only parts that come with the kit. The black rail supports are not included, and you have to buy one of the other steel mill buildings to get it. Is it just me, or is this deceptive?
This practice is deceptive. Buy this part but you need another $60 kit to use it? Could the crane also fit in the loco/car shop buildings? They should at least offer a frame for the crane to ride on. The crane clearly fits a number of heavy industry locations. I'd hate to think they sold an expensive flat car load!
The N Scale supply ad is not clear on it, but the Walthers ad points it out: A Big Crane for N Scale Industries Based on a typical 250-ton capacity crane, the Heavy-Duty Overhead Crane kit is a cool addition to your heavy industry scenes. The model features dual trolleys, hooks, motor details and an operator’s cab for extra realism. It’s designed to fit the supplied crane rails in the Electric Furnace kit (933-3807, sold separately) but will also look great in other heavy industry scenes.
Well, it does say what is included, and it doesn't say anything about the framework, or legs, but yes, I agree that it is "deceptive". I don't like feeling that I have to be that careful to be sure I am getting what I pay for.
Return it to N Scale Supply and demand your money back. Then keep us posted on the response you get, including the speed with which it comes. Doc
Um, er, how is it going to lying on the ground? Yes, "sold seperately" is mentioned but one would _never_ suspect that you were legless.
This disclaimer is in the N Scale Supply ad. Maybe they added it after getting complaints or seeing your post.
I bought mine from the local hobby shop, and had assumed from the advertising that we were not going to see the legs in N scale. The legs shown in the photo are the HO scale versions sold in the transload kit they released some time ago. The legs really are not that bad to scratch if you really want the crane. I plan on using mine at a steel products transloader, scratchbuilt legs and all.
And if you plan on using it inside a large industrial building (where I've typically seen overhead cranes like this) you don't necessarily need legs. Last one I dealt with in real life had the rails supported by large brackets welded to the main building columns. Just another thought Ed
To be fair, it really isn't N Scale Supply's fault, or "misrepresentation", so don't be too harsh to them. I have used them many times, and the guy is pretty cool, and very fair and easy to work with. He is simply selling an item from Wathers, and the pictures, and marketing comes from Walthers site. I think it is Walthers who is being deceptive. Not sure if it is in "malice", but it is deceptive none the less. You should return it to N Scale, but explain to them that you are not happy with Walthers marketing practices, and it is not directed to N scale supply. In that case, he would probably be willing to work with ya, and HE would have alot of impact going back to Walthers about it, being he is a retailer that sells alot of Walthers products. Know what I mean? If they get alot of us guys, as well as the retailers on their arses about their marketing practices, they will take it seriously. Just sayin..
I agree that I dont think N-Scale supply is trying to deceive anyone. I have purchased many items from N-Scale supply with great service. Thus far they (he) has been good to work with.
I bought the Walthers HO crane kit years ago and it came with legs and rails. I have the N scale crane reserved and am still expecting it. I would have thought based on the photographs of the assembled kit and the history of the HO kit that this one would naturally come with the legs. So, if I understand this correctly, in order to get the legs I have to buy the steel mill which comes with legs but not the crane. In order to get the crane for my steel mill which came with crane legs I have to buy the separate crane kit. What a nightmare. Why was the crane even offered separately? And why did the legs come with the steel mill in the first place? To be honest I have always thought Walthers was a bit deceptive in picturing a fairly simple kit in a fully detailed diorama. I believe they often say "accessories sold separately" or something of that nature and I know better than to expect the train, the tracks, the trees, figures, etc., but the legs on the crane??? That's just pretty darn silly. They can picture the diorama scene, but I think they should also provide a photo of the exact pieces in the box, preferably assembled and another shot of the pieces still on the sprue as well. By the way, this doesn't come with the steel mill already? They couldn't afford the cost of that extra half sprue of plastic for the price of the mill kit? Golly, times are hard.
When I first saw it, I thought the rails and legs were included. I thought it would be a good buy, due to the many applications either inside a structure or attached outside of a structure. Maybe Walthers will sell the legs/rails separately later. Yes... a bit deceptive on the picture... they could have shown the legs/rails in phantom lines to be more clear as to what was being offered.
Walthers must have realized the problem. The Walthers ad in the February Model Railroader and the same copy in this month's Walthers circular I received today clearly show the traveling crane by itself, minus any supporting rails or legs. :cat:
I bought some Micro-Trains trucks that were pictured under a hopper car. Boy was I upset when I found out I had to buy the hopper seperately for almost 3 times as much!
The same thing happened with the Metal Works building and awning ( the legs in your kit look like the metal works awning legs), in the catalog picture it had a crane under the awning. It was an HO scale model in the photo. What I got with the N scale model was just the awning. No traversing crane. The irony of it, is that the original kit this could go with isn't available. The crane I think is cool is the Vollmer 770-7901. Atleast you know it comes with legs.
I have to re-enforce the positive about N scale supply. N scale supply RAWKS! The guy is really nice. (I think his name is Scott) his sales table at GATS was the real deal. Stuff we used to see at trains shows... Discounted old stock for cheap. He had boxes full of train cars for a couple bucks each. Some had kadee's already installed and were worth the two bucks just for the trucks and couplers. He had used Atlas C55 switches for 3-4 dollars each. Locos for ridiculously low prices. You name it, he had it cheap. Definately my favorite GATS vendor. Everyone else was at or above the local prices at Caboose Hobbies.
I'd just return it to N Scale Supply, with a nice note or email explaining why. When I've written nice notes to Walthers twice in the past, I never gotten a reply. Not everyone wants to scratchbuild legs. If I had to scratchbuild the legs, then I'd scratchbuild the rest of it too!
Maybe, or not. I was looking at the junk mail (WallyLike's HO-centric circular) this morning with the coffee in hand (I also used to read cereal boxes in my youth). Page 30 has the HO version traveling overhead crane, with legs showing, but the dimensions do preclude said legs being included. So I think it is clueless copy writers occasionally getting it wrong/right. But what caught my eye was the Military - HO Scale section on pg38. There was a Helicopter Hangar (I do try to envision whether an undersized HO building has possibilities in N). Well, not at $120 it wouldn't. Right next to it is another Faller picture from a different angle with said hangar and another building for $80??? It isn't that obvious the hangar isn't included, especially since it is over half the photo, and if the hangar hadn't been shown seperately right next to it, I would have expected what you saw was what you got. There were no disclaimers. Bob in IDaho
